When Lauren Nedrow became one of the first members of Scouts BSA Troop 82 in Brownstown in December 2018, she, along with her sister, Lyndsey, and seven other young women, became eligible for an Eagle Scout extension, which gave them until February 2021 to complete requirements for an Eagle Scout Award if they so desired.
Now in her first year of studying neuroscience pre-medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, Lauren returned home in mid-March due to COVID-19 restrictions and has been continuing school online. Before returning home, Lauren had been looking for an Eagle Scout project in the health care field. Once at home, she saw reports on the nightly news about the need for face masks. Lauren contacted friends in the health care field, who connected her with Southeastern Home Health Services, which has an office in Elizabethtown. Southeastern provides in-home health care services to the elderly. She chose the organization as her project beneficiary and arranged to donate face masks for employees to use.
On March 26, Lauren submitted her project proposal to the BSA Pennsylvania Dutch Council for approval. The project was approved by March 30, and Lauren went to work contacting friends who might be able to help make masks. "I reached out to my Scout troop and the associated (Boy Scout Troop 82)," said Lauren, who quickly had about a dozen responses from people willing to sew or donate material for the cause. Lauren also brushed up on her own sewing skills. "I have sewed a bit, (but) I have never done something like face masks," she said. "The pattern I am using isn't terribly difficult, (but) I had to learn a few skills."
Lauren chose a pattern with pleats in the front that uses ties rather than elastic because elastic is scarce. As of April 8, 100 masks had been completed. At that time, Lauren was still figuring out the pace toward her goal of 500, based on what volunteers produced and what she was able to sew. By April 13, the group had completed 200 masks.
To be part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts, Lauren will need to have her project complete and all her paperwork done by October. "Even though I have until February 2021 to complete the program, any girls in the program that complete it by October of 2020 will be part of (that class)," she said. "That's the goal." BSA has decided to hold off boards of review for the girls until October so that no one person will be designated the first female Eagle Scout.
Those who are interested in helping with Lauren's project may contact her at lauren-nedrow@comcast.net.
Leave a Review